County staff recommend SJCA for four-year bridge inspection contract; roadwork updates given

John, a county highway department representative, briefed commissioners on multiple road and bridge items and recommended the county move forward with SJCA for a four-year countywide bridge-inspection contract.

“The countywide bridge inspection is a four-year contract. They do inspections, all the bridges every two years. Some bridges are inspected every year and then there’s underwater inspections,” John said. He told commissioners the bid-scoring committee had completed its work and that the paperwork had been submitted to NDOT for approval.

John also reported paving and chip-seal work underway across several townships, with particular attention to sections near Hartford City and work tied to a Community Crossing matching grant for specified roads. He said contractors will close road segments mile-by-mile so crews can pave full width and improve longevity.

On the Blackford Wind project, highway staff said the contractor is temporarily closing roads while moving cranes between turbine locations for public-safety reasons. “It’s for their safety and the public safety that we are closing these roads temporarily. 20 minutes, half an hour, whatever it takes them to get from one site to the next site with the crane,” John said.

Why it matters: A four-year inspection contract outlines how the county monitors bridge safety; the paving schedule and temporary closures affect traffic, farm operations and hauling. Commissioners were asked to support contractor access and road closures for safety.

The meeting transcript shows a recommendation to award the inspection contract to SJCA; the transcript does not include a completed recorded vote on the award.